Just days after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, researchers at the University of South Florida were working to develop to aid in the recovery efforts across some of the hardest hit areas.
Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, researchers with the were able to map the footprints of more than 600 homes and structures destroyed by the storm, and have continued assessing aerial imagery to map footprints of damaged and destroyed structures across islands and communities in the Bahamas.
鈥淲e know from responding to these sorts of events that the landscape that is there today, won鈥檛 be there after the storm,鈥� said . 鈥淪o, to have a tool available that can provide corollary information to those working on ground can be critical. That鈥檚 what we鈥檝e created in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.鈥�
Collins鈥� team focused their initial efforts on Marsh Harbour, an area of Abaco Island devastated by the category 5 storm that hovered over the area for nearly two days. DHHC graduate student Kyutae Ahn, along with DHHC GIS Analyst Denise Wright, analyzed aerial imagery and remote sensing information taken before the storm to create an initial comparison model. When used in conjunction with images and data collected post-storm, the .
Ahn concentrated his effort on two immigrant neighborhoods, 鈥楾he Mudd鈥� and 鈥楶igeon Peas鈥�, which media reports say are almost entirely destroyed. By sharing the data with resource managers and responders on the ground, this 哔咔漫画 effort is helping crews make sense of the piles of destruction they鈥檙e encountering and helping them in orienting to what used to be there before Dorian hit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely rewarding to have the chance to apply my research focus to something that can really make an impact,鈥� Ahn said. 鈥淭he GIS techniques that we鈥檙e using in this project can be applied to so many different areas, but to be able to work on something that can make a real difference in a time of need, that鈥檚 definitely gratifying.鈥�
鈥淎s a preeminent research university, we have the ability and responsibility to help when we can and provide these types of assistance, bringing an added level of importance and immediacy to what we do,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淭his is also a way for students to gain valuable, practical experience and a good example of how they鈥檙e making an impact globally.鈥�
As a center within USF Libraries, uses cutting-edge tools and techniques in reality capture, 3D and spatial documentation to record heritage sites, landscapes and objects from around the world. The team is creating digital learning tools and library collections that promote heritage preservation research, education and tourism interpretation strategies.
Collins says that while heritage site preservation and education remain the center鈥檚 primary objective, projects like this are a reminder of the profound impact GIS techniques can have on people around the world.
Researchers hope to continue mapping and adding to the spatial database for the Bahamas relief effort, including documentation of environmental concerns, like oil contamination and spill extent areas, and looking at important cultural and natural heritage sites that suffered impacts from Dorian.
To learn more about the work DHHC is doing around the world, .